A powerful earthquake struck Türkiye’s northwestern province of Balıkesir late Monday night, shaking a wide stretch of the Marmara and Aegean regions and sending residents rushing into the streets.

According to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the quake occurred at 10:49 p.m. local time (GMT+3) with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1. The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) also confirmed the same magnitude, placing the epicenter near the Sındırgı district of Balıkesir province at a shallow depth of approximately 10 kilometers.

The tremor was strongly felt in İstanbul, İzmir, Manisa, Bursa, and Tekirdağ, as well as neighboring provinces across western Türkiye. Residents reported brief but intense shaking that caused panic in some areas, prompting people to evacuate their homes and gather in open spaces.

Emergency response teams from AFAD and local municipalities were immediately dispatched to assess the situation. As of early reports, there were no confirmed fatalities, but authorities were conducting damage assessments in rural districts where older buildings are more vulnerable to collapse.

Monday’s earthquake came just two months after a similar 6.1-magnitude quake hit Sındırgı in August, killing one elderly person and damaging dozens of buildings. That event had already raised concerns about seismic activity along the fault lines stretching across western Türkiye.

Local media reported that some residents, still traumatized from the August incident, quickly fled their homes upon feeling the first tremors on Monday night.

AFAD issued a statement urging residents to remain calm but vigilant, warning that aftershocks are likely to follow. “Our teams are currently on the ground conducting field assessments. Citizens are advised to avoid entering damaged buildings and to follow only official information channels,” the agency said.

The Balıkesir Governor’s Office confirmed that schools would remain open unless further structural damage was detected, but emphasized that inspections were ongoing in public buildings.

The earthquake once again underscored Türkiye’s high seismic risk. The country sits atop several active fault zones, and experts have long warned that densely populated western provinces remain particularly vulnerable to large earthquakes. (ILKHA)